


Bleed Me Dry

by Alas_I_Cannot_Swim



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Josh Hutcherson - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:32:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alas_I_Cannot_Swim/pseuds/Alas_I_Cannot_Swim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh Hutcherson meets an emotionally detached folk singer that he knows he should stay away from... but can't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
> 
> Hello,
> 
> This story has been in the works for months (before I even finished Catch The Wind) and it was at one point supposed to be called A Creature I Don't Know, but I've decided to change it. Sex: Continuing the Education has been put on hold for now while I work on this story. I really wanted to finish it before I started this one, but I haven't really been motivated to write it since this story has been at the front of my mind for a long time. SCTE will be finished eventually, but not for a while.
> 
> Please bookmark this page to check for updates as it will not be listed on the directory or anywhere on Tumblr. Also, please keep this story here. I ask that you not post it on Tumblr or post when I update (not even in an ask). I left for a reason and I'd rather keep everything on here. Originally I wasn't even going to post this story on here and just send it through email to those who wanted to read it. As of now, I decided posting it was the right decision. Thank you for your patience and understanding and for sticking by me throughout my hiatus!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the new story =)

Playlist song: ["Bloodbuzz Ohio" - The National](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfySK7CLEEg)

 

            “Josh, you can’t not go!” Jared whined through the receiver.

            I sighed and rubbed my temples, waiting for the traffic to move from its current standstill. “I’m exhausted. I’ve had a long day of meetings and I just want to go home and relax with a few beers before bed.”

            “But it’s the party of the century!” he exclaimed, his voice coming out of the speakers in my Jeep.

            “I highly doubt that,” I replied, trying to suppress a yawn. “How the hell did you get an invite to a party at Katy Perry’s house anyway?”

            He cleared his throat. “Oh, well I was talking to Kellan Lutz after we played them yesterday and he invited us.”

            “What do you mean ‘us’?” I asked suspiciously.

            “He told me to tell you that he was going to her party and you should come and I told him that you and I had plans and he said if you came it’d be cool if I tagged along,” he admitted.

            I shook my head and huffed, pressing my foot to the accelerator as the car in front of me began to move. “First off, we didn’t have plans tonight and even if we did, I still don’t want to go to that party.”

            “Please?” he begged pathetically. “I’m sorry I told him you would go without asking, but I really need this. There will be so many hot girls at this party and I’ve been in a dry spell for far too long. Besides, I’m sure you’ll find a nice young lady to bring home as well.”

            I paused, taking a drink out of the can of Coke Zero in the cup holder before turning off of Hollywood Boulevard to head home. “Fine,” I consented. “But we’re taking separate cars. I will stay long enough to get you in and have one drink. Then I am out of there.”

            “Yes!” Jared exclaimed. “I’ll meet you at your house at around nine o’clock.”

            “Sure,” I said. “See you then.”

            I pressed the button on my steering wheel to end the call and pulled up to the gate blocking off my driveway. Once I parked and the gate was closed, I headed inside to shower before Jared came over. The scratching of nails on the concrete floor alerted me that Driver was headed my way and seconds later, his large gray body appeared, his tongue happily hanging out of the side of his mouth as he panted furiously.

            “Hey, buddy,” I greeted, crouching down to ruffle his ears. He licked my face in return, his tail wagging enthusiastically. “You have a good day?”

            He let out a small bark, which I took as a “yes”, and he scampered excitedly after me as I headed towards the kitchen area.

            “Long day?” Andre asked from the head of the table. He was typing furiously on his laptop and didn’t look up.

            “You have no idea. Last minute preparations before Mockingjay and now I have to go to this stupid party at Katy Perry’s so Jared can get laid,” I complained.

            Andre finally lifted his head and raised one eyebrow. “Please say that sentence again and remind me why anyone should pity you?”

            I winced. “When you put it like that, I guess I really have nothing to complain about.”

            “Exactly. Now, I need to finish this up so go get ready for that party,” he said, clearly dismissing me.

            “Okay, Mr. Bossy,” I replied.

            Andre chuckled and went back to his laptop while I headed into the shower. It didn’t take me long to get ready and I headed back out to the kitchen to eat some leftovers before heading to a party where I knew there would be barely any food due to the weight conscious men and women of Los Angeles.

            “You’re wearing that?” Andre commented, staring critically at my dark jeans and white t-shirt combination.

            “I always wear this,” I said, digging in the fridge for the now cold pizza from the previous night.

            “I know. Don’t you think you might want to at least look somewhat presentable?” he suggested.

            I shrugged, leaning back against the counter and taking a bite of the slice in my hand. “Whatever. I don’t even want to go to this thing anyway,” I replied through a mouth full of food.

            “Then why are you? Why didn’t you just tell Jared to go alone?” he asked.

            “Because I’m a good friend… and he technically wasn’t invited; I was. Man he’s going to owe me,” I said.

            As I shoved the last of the food in my mouth, the gate buzzed, signaling that Jared had arrived. I brushed the crumbs off of my fingers with my pants, ignoring the face Andre gave me, and went to meet him outside after I opened the gate. “I’ll be home soon!” I shouted to Andre as I closed the door behind me. Jared pulled in and I could hear Deadmau5 blasting through his stereo, even with the windows closed. He gave me a salute as a hello and I got into my BMW, revving the engine before backing out of the space.

            I followed Jared to Katy’s house, relieved that it was actually in my neighborhood and I could be home in bed in less than ten minutes when I left. The gate at the beginning of her driveway opened for us and I followed him inside, parking as close to the exit as possible so no one could block me in. It was early, yet there were already more than twenty cars parked in front of the villa style home.

            “Let’s do this,” Jared said excitedly as I locked my car. He straightened out his button down, checked his hair in the reflection from his driver’s side window, and we headed off towards the front door.

            “I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” I grumbled.

            “Relax! I’m sure as soon as we get inside, they’ll be so many girls that you’ll forget about being a complete buzz kill,” he said before ringing the bell. A few seconds later, the door opened and there stood Katy Perry with a glass of champagne in her hand.

            “Josh Hutcherson,” she said. “Kellan told me that you were coming! It’s nice to finally meet you!”

            She held her hand out and I shook it, giving her a smile. “Nice to meet you too. Thanks for having us.”

            She waved her hand and shook her head. “No trouble. And you are?” she asked, turning to Jared.

            “Jared Einsohn,” he replied, also shaking her hand. “I’m also an actor.”

            “Although you may know him best as the ex-boyfriend of Jennifer Love-Hewitt,” I added cheekily, earning a glare from Jared and a confused look from Katy.

             Jared cleared his throat, breaking the short, awkward silence. “So, should we check out the party?”

            Katy seemed to come back to reality and smiled once again. “Of course! Follow me.” We followed Katy into the massive foyer where there were a few people grouped together, talking and drinking glasses of wine. “There’s a bar out back by the pool with a bartender so no need to make your own drinks.”

            “Great, thanks,” I replied as we made our way into the living room. There were about fifty people congregated all around, talking loudly over the music and downing drinks like they were going out of style.

            “Wow, there’s a lot of people,” Jared commented.

            “And even more outside!” Katy exclaimed. “Well, you two have fun! I’m sure I’ll see you throughout the night!”

            With that, she waltzed off towards the back where the doors were open to the back patio and pool. “So, drinks?” Jared asked.

            “Sure, I’ll have whatever you are,” I replied.

            “Ah, so I guess I’m the beer bitch,” he said.

            I nodded. “You wanted to come here so bad, you can get the drinks.”

            “Right,” he agreed. “Be back in a second.”

            Jared walked towards the back and through the same doors Katy had gone through while I fished my phone out of my pocket and fiddled around on my email and Facebook, desperately trying to conceal my face to the girls passing by who were looking at me trying to figure out who I was.

            “Josh! My man!” I heard a booming voice call. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and saw Kellan making his way towards me, drink in hand.

            “What’s up, man?” I asked, shaking his hand.

            “Not much! Glad you made it! Some party, huh?” he said, bopping his head along to the music and taking a swig of his Corona.

            “Yeah. Some party,” I replied lamely.

            “I saw your friend Jared outside by the bar and figured you were in here. Thought I’d come say hi and let you know the hottest pieces of ass are in the hot tub… naked,” he winked.

            I gave him a small smile in return, trying not to grimace. “Then why are you in here?”

            “I came to recruit you! Of course, I’d love to have a go at them myself, but there’s not enough of me to go around, ya know? Girls go crazy over you, so I figure we help each other out by being each other’s wingman,” he explained.

            I cleared my throat. “Oh, um maybe later, Kellan, after a few drinks.”

            He nodded. “All right. I get it. Make them wait for it.”

            “Something like that,” I said, scanning the room for Jared. I wanted nothing more than a drink at that point and I was getting impatient. _If he’s not back here in two minutes I’m out of here._ My eyes fell on the couch where a group of giggling girls were gathered. Next to them, there was another girl who sat all by herself, an expression of what I guessed to be boredom on her face.

            She stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the crowd of Los Angeles’ usual party girls and socialites. Her skin was porcelain white and even from afar I could see she was wearing little, if any, makeup. Her billowing white shirt made her seem even paler, but it only made her skin glow.

            Her hair was so blonde it was almost as white as her shirt and cascaded past her shoulders in a way that made me think she had just run her fingers through it. She seemed to not notice the chaos going on around her and I wondered who she was and what she was even doing here, so obviously out of place with the rest of the party goers.

 

 

            “Hey, Josh, are you even listening to me?” Kellan asked from my side. I snapped out of my trance and turned towards him.

            “Who is that?” I asked, pointing towards the girl and not caring about what Kellan had been droning on about.

            Kellan looked towards her and squinted before shrugging. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before. Hey, Katy!” he called as Katy walked into the house. She made her way over towards us, her eyes glazed over from her alcohol consumption.

            “What’s up, Emmett Cullen?” she asked with a giggle.

            He rolled his eyes. “Josh here wants to know who Elvira is,” he said, motioning towards the couch.

            She scrunched her nose in confusion. “Elvira?”

            “The blonde on the couch that clearly hasn’t seen sunlight in about a decade and looks like she’s about to jump off a cliff,” he replied.

            “Oh, that’s Violet Reed. She’s a musician. I met her at our label a few days ago. She’s new in town and doesn’t really know anyone, so I invited her over. I’m surprised she even showed up. She didn’t seem too interested when I told her about it,” she explained.

            “She’s a musician?” I asked.

            Katy nodded. “Yeah, her third album is coming out soon.”

            “Third album? Has anyone ever even heard the first two? I don’t even know who she is,” Kellan said.

            “She’s a folk singer so unless you listen to that genre, you wouldn’t know who she is. Besides, she’s not that big here in America which is why she just moved here to broaden her career,” Katy said.

            “Folk? No thanks,” Kellan replied disdainfully.

            “Hey, don’t make judgments until you’ve heard her sing. The girl is a modern day Joni Mitchell,” she argued.

            “I’m going to go talk to her,” I announced, walking away from the two of them before I could hear their replies. I sat down in the empty space next to her, but she didn’t seem to notice.

            “Hi,” I said, making my presence known.

            Slowly she looked over at me and my eyes locked directly with her pale blue ones. “Hi,” she replied softly, seemingly surprised that I was speaking to her.

            “I’m Josh,” I introduced myself.

            “Violet,” she replied, the hint of an accent in her voice.

            “Are you British?” I blurted out.

            She raised one eyebrow and shook her head. “No,” she replied simply.

            “Um… Australian?” I guessed. Again, she shook her head and I laughed once, rubbing the back of my neck. “Well, I’m all out of ideas, then. So, what are you?”

            “A human,” she offered, but didn’t say anything else.

            “Well I hope so,” I said. “I meant, where are you from? And please be more specific than Earth,” I joked.

            “South Africa,” she replied.

            “Wow. That’s quite a long way from here. Katy tells me you’re a musician. I’m an actor myself,” I told her.

            “Congratulations,” she said.

            I bit my lip. “Am I bothering you? I know I sat down uninvited, but we are at a party and you’re not talking to anyone else here. You actually look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

            She sighed. “You’re not bothering me, but you’re right. I would rather be anywhere else.”

            _Finally, a complete sentence out of the girl. Could she talk any softer?_ “Then why did you come?” I asked.

            “Research,” she replied.

            “Research? For what?” I pressed, interested in her answer.

            “Well, you know I’m a musician. I have to draw inspiration from somewhere. Might as well draw it from a situation that makes me uncomfortable. Could help me possibly write an interesting song,” she explained.

            “Huh,” was all I could think to say.

            “What are you doing here all by yourself?” she inquired.

            “Well, I’m not by myself. My friend Jared dragged me here. Last I saw of him though he was on his way to get us drinks. As you can see I am empty handed so he obviously hasn’t returned,” I told her.

            “Your friend?” she probed, a small smile playing on her lips.

            I returned it. “Yes, just my friend. I love the ladies.”

            “I’m only teasing,” she said.

            “So, how are you liking Los Angeles so far?” I asked.

            She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m enjoying the weather, but I do miss London.”

            “London? I thought you said you were from South Africa.”

            “I am, but I was living in London before I moved here. That’s where I started my career when I was eighteen,” she clarified.

            “And how old are you now?” I prodded.

            “Twenty-two. What about you? What’s your story?”

            “Well, I’ll be twenty-one in October and I’ve been living here for about a decade, but I’m originally from a small town in northern Kentucky. When I was nine years old I really wanted to be an actor. So my parents did all they could to make my dream come true and here I am. I’ve been making movies ever since and my biggest role to date is the male lead in The Hunger Games trilogy. It wasn’t easy, but I was very determined,” I said.

            “Well, I am very happy for you and all of your success,” she said sincerely.

            I nodded. “Thank you. And congratulations on the impending release of your third album. Katy told me. I’m going to have to listen to it when it comes out. She said you were a modern day Joni Mitchell.”

            A faint blush arose on her cheeks. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “You know, I have two other albums you can listen to,” she hinted at.

            I smiled. “I guess I’ll have to for now. So, what made you leave London besides broadening your career? You said you missed it, but you sounded almost relieved to be out of there.”

            She winced and looked down at her lap, her small fingers twisting together, showing off the electric blue nail polish that contrasted with her skin. “Bad breakup,” she muttered.

            “Oh,” I replied awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”

            “He was my drummer and backup singer, but he’s in his own band now. Apparently he thought it was okay to have fun with his groupies on the side,” she explained, her voice filled with pain.

            “Wow. He sounds like a real winner,” I said sarcastically.

            “I loved him,” she whispered. “And he broke my heart. Four years down the drain.”

            “Hey, fuck him. Clearly he didn’t deserve you or your heart. Now you can find someone who’ll appreciate you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated,” I told her.

            She shrugged. “It may be hard to find a man who can resist beautiful women throwing themselves at them.”

            “Some of us can. Hell, I do it all the time,” I said.

            “JOSH! I brought you presents!” I heard Jared shout from behind me. He came into view and I groaned inwardly at the sight of him. He had a drink in each hand and a girl on each arm, both of them only wearing a thong. He handed me the glass and before I could protest, the girl with black hair and dark eyes immediately sat on my lap, blocking my view of Violet.

            “Hey, sexy,” she purred, pressing her bare breasts towards my face. “Drink up and then we can go upstairs and have some fun.”

            “No thanks, I…” I began to protest, but was cut off by her lips smashing against mine. She tasted like gin and I almost gagged.

            “Or we can just have that fun right here. I don’t mind if people watch,” she whispered huskily.

            I felt the couch shift and I saw Violet get to her feet, grabbing her purse. She turned towards me, her face as expressionless as it was when I first saw her. “Well, looks like that’s my cue to leave. Have a good rest of your night, Josh.”

            “No. Violet, wait!” I called out, but she had turned on her heel and walked away. By the time I had gotten the random girl off of me and shoved my way through the crowd, she was gone.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bookmark this page to check for updates as it will not be listed on the directory or anywhere on Tumblr. Also, please keep this story here. I ask that you not post it on Tumblr or post when I update (not even in an ask). I left for a reason and I'd rather keep everything on here. Originally I wasn't even going to post this story on here and just send it through email to those who wanted to read it. As of now, I decided posting it was the right decision. Thank you for your patience and understanding and for sticking by me throughout my hiatus!

Chapter Playlist

["I Speak Because I Can" - Laura Marling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrI5RsZEdc)

["Grown Ocean" - Fleet Foxes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgv6dKV03dA)         

 

                   It had been two weeks since Katy’s party and I was in a funk. There was nothing wrong per say, but there had been a constant presence of Violet in my brain since the night I’d met her. We had only spoken for ten minutes and I barely knew her, but it still bothered me that she had seemed to disappear into thin air without a trace. Katy was unable to tell me anything about her or how to contact her and now I was at a standstill. Our conversation had ended quite abruptly and I couldn’t help but feel the need to apologize to her, especially for the uninvited naked girls that had cut her off.

                  “Josh, seriously, cut the shit. You’ve been mopey for weeks and it’s getting annoying,” Andre complained, snapping his fingers in front of my face. We were at Chipotle and I hadn’t said a word or touched my food since we had sat down ten minutes prior.

                  “Sorry,” I apologized. “I just can’t get her out of my head.”

                  “You don’t even know her. You’ve met her once and it wasn’t even for that long,” he said, scooping into his half eaten burrito bowl.

                  “I know, but I just feel bad for the way it ended. I mean, we were talking and all of a sudden there are tits in my face that aren’t hers and she just gets up and leaves without a trace,” I told him for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

                  “Get over it. I’m sure she already is. And if you want to find her so bad, why don’t you just find out where she’s touring and go to one of her shows?” he suggested.

                  “I looked that up already,” I admitted. “She has nothing listed. All it says is ‘Coming Soon’ under the dates. I’m beginning to think I’ll never see her again.”

                  “If you don’t, then you don’t. Relax, man. It’s not the end of the world,” he said.

                  I sighed, finally picking up my burrito. “You’re right. I need to just forget about her and move on. She probably doesn’t even remember me anyway.”

                  As the days went by, I thought less and less about Violet and concentrated on my upcoming SBNN Charity Basketball Game. Since I had been filming in Hawaii and Panama most of the year, I hadn’t had time to play as much. Now that I was back in LA, I was practicing almost daily, trying to shake off my rustiness. After a grueling practice session on one of the outdoor courts at the gym, I felt back to my old self.

                  “I think you’re finally back on track,” Avan said, his hands on his knees as he took deep, hard breaths. “Then again, what do I know? I’ll just be watching from the sidelines.”

                  “Good thing, too. Basketball is definitely not your strong suit,” I commented, tossing the ball into the hoop one last time with the beautiful whooshing sound of getting all net. Avan had come to help me practice for the game, even though he wasn’t good at it.

                  Once I placed the ball back on the rack, we headed over to the bench to cool off and rehydrate. After I wiped the sweat away from my forehead, I picked my phone up to check for any text messages, phone calls, or emails I had missed. After listening to a voicemail from my mom letting me know she would be flying in Thursday night for the game on Friday, I saw an email that made my heart stop. I had forgotten that I’d signed up for Violet’s mailing list, but now I was glad that I did.

                  The email informed me that she would be having a last minute show Thursday night at the Troubadour so fans could hear her perform new and old songs. It was as if fate had finally stepped in.

                  “Want to go to a concert Thursday night?” I asked Avan.

                  “To see who? It’s the night before your game,” he replied.

                  “Violet Reed, the girl I met at Katy’s party a few weeks ago. She’s playing at the Troubadour,” I informed him, showing him the email.

                  “Can I bring Zoey?” he asked.

                  I nodded. “Sure. I’ll get three tickets now.” I clicked on the “Purchase Tickets Now” button, put three tickets in my cart, and checked out. I smiled as the confirmation appeared on my screen, letting me know we were in.

                  “Have you listened to her music?” he asked, downing the last of his Gatorade.

                  “No,” I admitted. “Every time I’ve thought about her, it wasn’t about her music. I think I’ll hold off on listening to it and just hear her live.”

                  Avan shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat. Why do you want to see her so bad anyway? You have a crush on her from the entire five minutes of talking to her weeks ago?” he teased.

                  I threw my empty water bottle at him. “No, I don’t have a crush on her. I don’t know, man. Even though it was brief, I really liked talking to her. She’s not like any other girl I’ve met out here. In fact, she’s the complete opposite. I guess I’m just intrigued by her.”

                  “How do you plan on meeting her after the show? It’s not like you have any way of letting her know you’re going,” he reminded me.

                  “Looks like I’ll have to make some calls and see if I can get on a list to have access or something. I’ll figure it out,” I said, hoping what I said was true.

                  Once Avan and I were officially cooled down, we parted ways, heading back to our respected homes. I was happy I was finally going to see Violet again and I couldn’t stop smiling the entire ride home.

                  “What are you all giddy about?” Heather asked as I walked into the living room when I got home. Her and Andre were on the couch, watching Bravo TV while simultaneously working on the details of the game for Friday.

                  “Am I giddy?” I countered.

                  “You’re about three seconds away from jumping and clicking your heels together,” Andre said.

                  “Well, practice went really well and then afterwards, I received an email letting me know that Violet is playing a show at the Troubadour on Thursday night,” I told them.

                  “This Thursday? As in two days from now and the night before your game?” Heather asked.

                  I nodded. “I have to see her again. I promise I’ll be in tip top shape Friday night.”

                  “We know you will. Are you going by yourself?” Andre asked.

                  “Avan and Zoey are tagging along. Now, I have to go make some calls about being on an all access list so I actually get the chance to talk to her again,” I informed them.

                  “The boy is smitten,” Heather teased.

                  I shook my head. “Not smitten; intrigued,” I corrected, using the same word from earlier. After making calls to my manager, agency, and publicity team and waiting even longer for call backs, my publicist finally let me know that she got me on a list to be able to go backstage.

                  The thought of finally being able to see Violet again got me through the next two days of more vigorous basketball practice. I was sinking almost every shot and my defense skills were improving drastically. I knew there were going to be hundreds of my fans watching me and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. Even after playing in countless celebrity basketball games, I still had the need to prove that even though I lacked height, I was still a good player.

                  When Thursday night finally came, I was nervous. _What if she’s not happy to see me? What if she doesn’t remember me? What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?_ I had begun to think I was in way over my head by going to this concert.

                  “Dude, slow down, you don’t want to drive past it,” Avan said from the passenger seat. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and pulled up to the front of the Troubadour where there was valet set up.

                  “Wow, she sold the place out,” Zoey said, pointing to the sign when we got out of the car. There, above the entrance in big letters said, “Violet Reed 8/8 SOLD OUT”.

                  “That means it’s going to be crowded, especially because we already know the opening act went on,” Andre replied, looking at his watch. The valet guy handed me a ticket and I thanked him before stepping onto the crowded sidewalk. There were people smoking and laughing with scalpers calling out that they had tickets to sell.

                  “Let’s go in. We’ll stand towards the back,” I said. Avan and Zoey followed me to the entrance where I held out our electronic tickets to be scanned.

                  “Maybe we won’t get recognized in the crowd,” Avan said hopefully.

                  “It’s possible. I doubt people would be looking for any of us here,” Zoey said. When we made our way into the Showroom, the opening act was just getting off the stage and the audience was screaming and applauding them loudly. The room was packed, as was the balcony above, and the temperature was about ten degrees higher than it was outside due to the amount of bodies in one small space.

                  “Definitely might get away with remaining anonymous,” Avan said as we stood in the back. There were people onstage setting up a drum set, tuning guitars, and repositioning the microphones. I could see the only microphone at the front of the stage perfectly and I knew it was going to be Violet’s. The nervous energy in my stomach was rising and I found myself unable to stand still or stop checking my phone for the time. She was due onstage at nine thirty and it was already nine twenty.

                  “Dude, relax. There’s no need for you to be so damn antsy,” Avan said, clapping me hard on the shoulder to try and get me to calm down.

                  “What’s wrong?” Zoey asked.

                  “I’m just anxious,” I replied hastily.

                  “Do you want a drink to calm your nerves?” Avan asked.

                  “No, I’ll be fine. She’ll be on stage soon,” I said. Ten minutes later, the stage lights faded to black except one overhead light. The crowd went crazy as the musicians filed onto the stage, heading towards their instruments. I saw the outline of Violet pick up her guitar and stand in front of the microphone, but I still couldn’t see her face, only the top of her head as the bright light reflected off of her platinum blonde hair.

                  When the crowd began to quiet down, the plucking of guitar strings started, signaling the beginning of the show and the lights began to brighten, bringing her face into focus. I stopped breathing as she stepped towards the microphone, opening her mouth, and started to sing.

_My husband left me last night_

_Left me a poor and lonely wife_

_I cook the meals and he got the life_

_Now I’m just old for the rest of my time_

_For he, oh he, oh my_

                 Her voice sent chills through my body, making my arm hair stand on end and I didn’t want her to stop. Her face was almost blank, but I could see some sort of painful emotion in her eyes and I could hear it in her voice.

_I speak because I can_

_To anyone I trust enough to listen_

_You speak because you can_

_To anyone who’ll hear what you say_

_I swear it was not my choice_

_I used to be so kind_

                  She was like a siren, drawing me in to a death I would happily take at her hands. Her hair was down and mostly straight, framing her face, but not overshadowing her flawless, porcelain skin. She was wearing skinny jeans, Converse, and an oversized and very worn black Iron Maiden t-shirt. She was even more beautiful than I’d remembered.

_Never rode my bike down to the sea_

_Never finished that letter I was writing_

_Never got up and said anything_

_Worthy, for he, for my_

“Dude, she’s fucking incredible,” Avan whispered to me in awe. I nodded back, unable to even form a complete sentence.

_Graceful sleeper_

_You midnight dreamer_

_I’m floored by your sound_

_I’m floored by your sound_

_I swear it was not my choice_

_To reach out for someone wise_

_I used to be so kind_

_I used to be so kind_

_In the breaking of the morning we’ll be dancing on my soft lawn_

_When you’re shaking out the anger that stops you from taking my call_

_When you’re running up the highway_

_Singing I’m the king, the king of you all_

_When you look back to where it started_

_I’ll be there waving you on_

_Never rode my bike down to the sea_

_Never quite figured out what I believe_

_Never got up and said anything_

_Worthy, for he, for my_

                  The song ended to the deafening cheering of the crowd, Avan, Zoey, and myself joining in. The concert was amazing, every song just as beautiful as the last. Her small talk with the audience was adorable and it was the first time I had seen a smile on her face. During a few of her songs, I could have sworn she was looking at me, but thought it highly unlikely due to me being all the way in the back and the bright spotlight shining in her face.

                  Once she had finished her set and encore, the lights went on and music started playing out of the speakers, telling the crowd that the show was officially over.

                  “No wonder you wanted to see her again so bad,” Avan said.

                  “She’s so pretty and I love her voice!” Zoey gushed. “When does her new album come out?”

                  “Tuesday,” I said. “I’m going to head backstage and say hi. Where should I meet you guys?”

                  “Next door at Mercato Di Vetro. We’re going to grab something to eat and I’m maybe going to have a drink,” Avan replied.

                  “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit,” I said.

                  “Maybe you won’t be alone,” Zoey hinted.

                  I shrugged. “I’m not getting my hopes up.”

                  Avan and Zoey headed for the exit with the rest of the crowd and I headed towards the side of the stage where there was a bouncer guarding the entrance to the back area.

                  “Hi, I’m on the list. Josh Hutcherson,” I said to him.

                  He checked over his clipboard and nodded, stepping aside. “Head on back.”

                  I walked past him through the dark hallway and to the back room. It was dingy and all of the musicians were talking, enjoying a beer, and packing up their equipment, but there was no sign of Violet. A girl with strawberry blonde hair, who I recognized as her cello player, approached me.

                  “Can I help you with something?” she offered.

                  “Yeah, I’m looking for Violet,” I replied.

                  The girl smiled and pointed towards the exit behind her. “She’s out back having a cigarette.”

                  I nodded. “Thanks.”

                  I headed towards the door and took a deep breath before pushing it open. The back alley was dark, the only light coming from the street down at the end. I could smell cigarette smoke and I closed the door behind me. Violet was sitting on an upturned crate, still in her Converse, skinny jeans, and Iron Maiden t-shirt. Her back and head were resting against the bricks of the building and her legs were crossed, a cigarette dangling from between the two fingers on her right hand.

                  She looked up at me curiously for a moment before taking a long drag. “Josh Hutcherson,” she said, as if she wasn’t surprised to see me in the slightest. She blew the smoke out of her mouth slowly, her expression unchanging.

                  “I don’t remember telling you my last name,” I said, a small smile playing on my face.

                  She shrugged. “No, but you did tell me what movie you’re in. Google is a very helpful tool.”

                  “So I did,” I replied. “You were unbelievable out there tonight.”

                  “Thank you,” she said, taking yet another drag.

                  I sat down on the crate next to her, resting my elbows on my knees and looking back at her. “You seem like you knew I’d be here,” I said.

                  “I didn’t. I saw you in the crowd,” she admitted.

                  “I thought you did, but I couldn’t really tell,” I replied, taking the cigarette from her fingers and pulling a drag, inhaling the thick smoke into my lungs, holding it for a moment, before blowing it out. I wasn’t a smoker, but I did enjoy one every once in a while, especially after a drink. She wasn’t shocked at all about me stealing her cigarette, just continued to stare at me curiously before I handed it back to her. “Are you a regular smoker?”

                  She shook her head. “No. I have one after a show usually. Helps the adrenaline fizz out a bit.”

                  “Makes sense,” I agreed. “So, I came here tonight for two reasons. One of them was to check out your music like I said I would, and the other was to apologize for the incident at Katy’s party.”

                  “What incident?” she asked, taking a pull of the cigarette before holding it out to me. I mirrored her, taking the last one before putting out the stub on the concrete.

                  “The abrupt end to our conversation. I had no idea Jared was going to bring those girls in and I definitely didn’t know one was going to sit on my lap and shove her tongue down my throat,” I explained.

                  “Why are you apologizing? I don’t think I understand what you think you did wrong,” she said.

                  I sighed and leaned back next to her, our shoulders almost touching. “I don’t think I did anything wrong, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry if you were offended by the situation or uncomfortable. I mean, we had just been talking about men being able to resist women who threw themselves at them and then some random naked girl just plops herself on my lap.”

                  “I wasn’t offended,” she replied simply. “Disgusted by their lack of self-respect and respect for your personal space, yes, but not offended. That was just sort of the icing on the cake to let me know it was time to go home.”

                  “So you weren’t mad at me?” I asked.

                  “No, Josh. I wasn’t mad at you. I enjoyed the short amount of time we spent talking to each other,” she assured me.

                  “I went after you, you know. You were gone already by the time I got out the front door,” I admitted.

                  “I have a way of disappearing when I want to,” she replied cryptically.

                  “Well I hope you don’t plan on disappearing tonight. My friends are next door and I’d like it a lot if you came and had a drink with us,” I told her.

                  “Not tonight. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just haven’t been sleeping well lately. Nerves leading up to my first show back with new music among other things have been keeping me up. I just want to go home and sleep,” she declined.

                  “Oh,” I said, feeling put out. “I’m sorry you haven’t been sleeping well. I totally understand you just wanting to go home. I want to see you again, though.”

                  “Like a date?” she asked, uneasily.

                  “Not if that makes you uncomfortable,” I said quickly. “Look, I’m playing in a charity basketball game tomorrow night at LA Live and I’d love it if you came. It won’t be a date, I promise. You can come watch me try to not make a fool out of myself in front of hundreds of my fans.”

                  She hesitated for a second before nodding. “All right. I’ll come to your basketball game, especially because you came to my show.”

                  I smiled, standing up as she did the same. It was then that I noticed how short she was, as I had never stood next to her before. She came up to my chin and I had to look down in order to make eye contact with her.

                  “Great,” I responded. “It starts at seven, but I suggest being there by six.”

                  “Where can I get tickets?” she asked.

                  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about that. Your name will be on a list. Let’s exchange numbers so I can send you all the details tomorrow morning after I talk to my friend Andre who’s in charge.”

                  Violet gave me her number and I punched mine into her phone as well. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night,” she said.

                  “Yeah, I guess so,” I replied awkwardly. She headed towards the door and opened it, standing halfway inside before turning back to me.

                  “Good night, Josh Hutcherson. Thanks for coming to the show,” she said.

                  “Good night, Violet,” I replied, her name rolling nicely off of my tongue. She went inside and shut the door while I stood there for a few minutes to get my head together. I walked through the alley and out onto the street where there were still some stragglers from the crowd. I kept my head down, not wanting to be noticed and headed next door to Mercato Di Vetro. Avan and Zoey were in the back corner eating a meat and cheese plate when I joined them at their table.

                  “How’d it go?” Avan asked.

                  “Pretty good, I think. She’s coming to the game tomorrow night,” I replied.

                  “That’s great! Why didn’t she come out tonight as well?” Zoey asked, sipping on her water.

                  “She said she was tired,” I told them.

                  “Joshy’s got a girlfriend,” Avan sang.

                  I rolled my eyes. “She’s not my girlfriend. Trust me, when I told her I wanted to see her again she looked horrified at the thought of going on a date with me. She told me she’d come to the basketball game because I came to her show.”

                  “Well when you told me about her a few weeks ago after you met her, you said she had just gone through a bad breakup back in London. Clearly it was that bad that she moved to a different country. No wonder she isn’t ready to date,” Avan said.

                  “True,” I agreed. “I don’t know what it is about her. She’s not even my type, you know? I think she’s a beautiful girl, but she’s not what I normally go for. I wish I could figure her out.”

                  “The girl’s mysterious. She’s not laying it all out on the table and it makes you only want more,” Zoey rationalized.

                  “Maybe. I’m curious to see where it’s headed, if it’s headed anywhere that is. Who knows what’s going to happen,” I said.

                  “Just go with it,” Avan suggested. “It may turn out to be something good and completely unexpected.”

                  “It already is,” I said. “Violet is definitely completely unexpected.”


End file.
